EPO: No Good for Sports Doping? (Lancet Haematology)

Red-cell stimulant fails to boost amateur cyclists' endurance

Erythropoietin has long been considered to be a performance-enhancing drug for endurance sports, and is therefore on banned substance lists for athletes. But an actual randomized trial in Lancet Haematology calls its efficacy as a doping agent into question.

About 50 amateur competitive cyclists were assigned to receive weekly doses of either placebo or recombinant EPO for 8 weeks and then underwent exercise testing. The results: EPO appeared to boost maximal power output and maximal VO2 -- but "the more clinically relevant submaximal exercise test performance and road race performance were not affected," the researchers wrote.

Still, it remains unclear whether these findings from recreational cyclists apply to riders in grueling, multi-day stage races such as the Tour de France, which begins Saturday and runs for 3 weeks.

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